On September 5 and 6, 2026, Shadow Valley MX, just south of Morden, Manitoba, will become the stage for Shadow Valley Illuminated — a two-night national pyro-musical competition that organizers believe is the first of its kind in the province. A pyro-musical is a special fireworks display that is choreographed to music. Instead of fireworks being launched randomly or in simple sequences, each effect is carefully timed to match the beat, rhythm, mood, and key moments in a soundtrack, all created by the show designer. As Penner explains, "It's actually a pyro musical. It's specifically timed to go either with the beat of the music or the mood of the music or the feel of it."
The competition will pit Alberta against Manitoba. Aerial Fireworks, an Alberta company incorporated in 2004 that joined the Canadian Pyrotechnic Council in 2023 and holds a seat on its executive board, will represent the west on September 5, with lead designer and choreographer Sheri Sibbald putting her show in the sky. Terry Penner, a local designer with 12 years in the fireworks industry who has worked for Archangel Fireworks and designed the Winkler Harvest Festival display, will represent Manitoba on September 6. Each competitor gets an entire night to put their show in the sky. Penner's show will feature a Christian soundtrack, including songs like "He Arose," "Invited," "Jesus is King," "Just as I Am," and "Break Every Chain."
The venue was chosen with care. Shadow Valley MX sits on a site large enough to do things that most Manitoba fireworks shows simply cannot. The space allows for much larger fireworks than are usually used for events like festivals and celebrations. The large hill provides a great seating area, so bring a lawn chair or blanket. The site also allows for a special bracket mounted on an 85-foot-plus lift to put fireworks in the air, allowing them to be shot in all directions.
The weekend will also feature live music and food trucks. Love & The Outcome, a Canadian husband-and-wife duo with seven GMA Canada Covenant Awards, two Juno nominations, and more than 100 million streams, will perform on September 5. Jet Trouble, a 28-year-old Christian artist from Dallas known for blending hip hop and alternative rock, will perform on September 6. Food trucks on site will include Industrial Eats, a social enterprise that funnels its profits into The Bunker Youth Drop-in Centre. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. each night, with the main band taking the stage at 7:15 and the fireworks presentation beginning around 9 p.m.
The deepest purpose of Shadow Valley Illuminated is as a fundraiser for S-HOP, the rural youth drop-in centre based in Haskett. Proceeds will support S-HOP.
For a community that has never seen anything like it, Shadow Valley Illuminated promises to be a provincial first in colour, sound, and purpose.